Food Storage Bread

If you've got this...

...And want this

Make sure you got a lot of this... 

Okay it isn't really that bad!

I made my first, totally from scratch whole wheat bread today and it was fun!

I need to learn some great recipes to learn how to use my food storage wheat and my sister makes yummo wheat bread so this is her recipe :)

It would have been even GREATER if she would have written this post but WHATEVA!

First step: take a couple of hours and find your cell phone so you can get the recipe from your sister...

Second Step: proof your yeast to see if "IT'S ALIVE" ahhh!

I just put it in 1/4 cup warm water and a pinch of sugar and...

...um yeah - it's definitely alive! it like octopled in size :)

Third Step: convince hubby to help you grind the wheat...

My KSL beauty

 

I have never even watched someone do this - I don't know why, my parents have always had a wheat grinder and both of sisters have one, but I have been ignorantly blissful... Until today, dundundun.

Hubby helped a ton, after a grumble about it being used (grumblegrumblecheapskatewife) he fiddled with the switches and gadgets and buttons and got the baby going!!!

The wheat kernels went in the top and the flour came out the bottom... easy-peasy!

It was really exciting, and I KNOW hubby would deny it, but I think he had fun too!

Bonding and breadmaking!

Final Step: The rest is gravy baby - just follow the recipe!

and steps 1-3 are optional!

4 1/2 cups Hard Wheat (freshly ground)

1 1/2 Tbs Yeast

mix together

3 cups warm water

mix in kitchen aid

Cover and let rise 15 minutes

Add

1 Tbs Salt

1/3 cup honey

1 1/4 Tbs Dough Enhancer

1/4 cup oil (or applesauce)

1 Tbs Gluten

Mix together

2 - 3 cups wheat flour

added 1 cup at a time until desired consistency

mix for 5 minutes

put in bread pans and let rise for 20 minutes in a cool oven with boiling water steam bath

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

I got my gluten and dough enhancer at Kitchen Kneads and I had the yeast from forever ago in a little packet and it was still good - so I am thinking individual packets are great for long term storage of yeast???

I don't really know.

I tried to be all prepared but I actually didn't have bread pans so I sort of shaped them into loaves and set them side by side in a cake pan (that is why they are on the squatty side!)  They may not be the prettiest loaves but I am bursting with pride for them!

oh why not - lets see that picture of them again:

Oh cute!

Custard Bread Pudding

I'm just going to start my mom off in the right direction...
Remember when you made this a couple of weeks ago?


mmmmmmm

We want the recipe ;)

1 qt. milk, scalded
2 c. day-old bread cubes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
3 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Set oven for 325 degrees. Pour milk over bread cubes. Add
salt and sugar. Beat eggs; add to bread mixture with butter
and vanilla; mix well. Pour into a 1 1 1/2 quart greased
casserole. Set casserole in a pan. Pour in hot water to
within 1 inch of top. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until knife
inserted near rim comes out clean. Makes 8 servings.


SURPRISE PUDDING:

Use plain whole wheat or raisin whole-wheat bread instead of
white bread in making Custard Bread Pudding.


CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING:

Add 2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted, to bread and
milk mixture in Custard Bread Pudding. Use 3/4 cup of sugar
instead of 1/2.

There you go. I used a really good raisin bread for mine and I got the recipe from Cooks.com Love, Mom

Tradition

I dug up this picture from a couple years back.  Whenever our extended family gets together for the winter holidays my mom and I always seem to get the same assignment - A Crudité platter of some sort

I have been watching...

And usually a pickle platter, and or a cheese and cracker platter - we try mix it up a bit!

as much as we can with not shaking the roots of tradition mind you


 
I don't know what made us take a picture this year but I wish we had more pictures 
(especially of our pineapple turkey because I don't think we'll be making that little guy ever again!)

The best part of food is family!

I made my mom and sisters co-authors on this shiny new blog because of my family I am the least likely to cook (but most likely to eat!!!!!)  

This is my shout out to them to post their famous recipes and if they need me to come by and snap some pictures of their food (and/or sample it) I am more than willing!

I sure need the photography XP!  

In my crazy, waywardly ambitions mind I want to gather a enough recipe posts to do a book!

Craving Green Onions?

I know! What is my deal, I CRAVE those grilled green onions that Mexican restaurants garnish with - I have ever since I was pregnant with baby #1 (as in going on 3 years now...)  

So about a month ago I "invented" a grilled green onion that was pretty good!  I debuted it at our chinese party! I may have been the only one that ate them - but I put them AWAY!  

I have since tried them a couple of other times and they are getting better *squeal*

They are easy-peasy!  I just lightly toss them in some olive oil so that some seasoning will stick.  I have sprinkled them with Adobo, seasoned salt, Mrs. Dash - all work great - just add a little sumthin sumthin to enhance the flavors.  I throw them all out on my stove top grill and when they have some nice grill marks I turn them and grill the other side - really technical I know, might be too hard for you to try...  

Since hubby is gone a lot for dinner sometimes I eat just a plate of these bad boys and some rice - yummo!

...in my defense I just gotta say I am not a photographer!
It is on my list of things to teach myself - but hey, I try! 
...also blogger redid how they upload and format photos and I am still getting used to it...